| Requirement | Definition | Illustrative quote |
|---|---|---|
| Immunity | Immunity involves making a mindful effort to keep the newborn away from large crowds/sick people and adhering to standard immunization protocols. This is a crucial element in the assurance of a healthy child. Participants consistently expressed the need to give the newborn adequate time to develop her or his immunological defences within the boundary of the home environment before exposing the infant to new surroundings. | "We were supposed to stay home for the first 3 months, not visiting other homes or out in public. And mothers don't follow that anymore. If anybody wanted to see the baby, they would come here. There is a double duty of keeping the mother well and the baby not exposed to germs until she has built immunity. [Nowadays] right out of the hospital, they've got to go shopping, and do this and do that. They should take more time - to give [the baby] a chance to be healthy." (P4) |
| Security | Security is developed primarily through wrapping, bundling and "snuggling" the infant and supporting predictable routines. Participants stated that when a child feels comfortable and secure, this helps to form stronger mother-child bonds, contributing to the optimal development of the child's mind (by helping him or her learn how to stay calm). | "Babies need to feel secure. That's what swaddling does for them. It helps them feel snuggled because they are not used to all this space. When they were inside mom they were all bundled up, and if they are still like that outside, babies are more calm." (P6) |
| Comfort | Comfort consists of ensuring that the baby is comfortable in her or his clothing, comforting the baby when he or she needs to be reassured, and how the baby is supported during sustained periods of sitting (e.g., use of a traditional Indigenous baby carrier [cradleboard] instead of a baby seat). Participants believed that feeling comfortable helps the baby to develop trust, confidence and the ability to calm her- or himself. | "I dislike those baby seats. They would be a lot better if they were on a cradleboard. It's better for their bones and spine. It must be uncomfortable for [the baby]. They all protest, they all cry. That's definitely important. Making sure that baby is comfortable and not just buying things because they are available [and convenient]." (P3) "It just bugs me when people take their babies out, I mean their eyes are new. They should keep them in a darker room for two weeks. But now you see women running around with little stiff clothes on [the babies] and stiff hats on their little heads. And jeans. Hard jeans on their soft little body. That just bugs the heck out of me." (P5) |
| Social development | Social development consists of ensuring reciprocal communication (making eye contact and talking to the newborn) to help promote social growth and development. Participants believed that social development through active communication aids in teaching important skills that will help the newborn learn how to form satisfying and trusting relationships. | "[The baby] knows who you are and all. He sees you, hears your voice, that's one thing that I told my grandchildren, 'Talk to your baby.' If you are going to change him, tell him that. He knows the tone of your voice, and if you keep talking to him, he's going to respond. Eventually. So that's the social development at a young age. Because they are born with that wonderful thing called a brain and they start to think right away. You might not know it, but they do." (P8) |
| Parental responsibility | Parental responsibility includes being accountable for the child that one has brought into this world. It includes being available for the child and helping her or him become the productive person he or she was were meant to be. Participants recognized that returning to work postnatally is a personal choice for each individual woman. Many did encourage staying home with the baby instead of having someone else watch her or him, especially during the first year, which was felt was a crucial period for building a strong bond. Participants consistently stated that a woman should take responsibility for her children. Parental responsibility also encompasses ensuring that the woman is ready to raise children before conceiving, that she can commit time for them once they arrive, and that she continues to be there for them during challenging times such as parental separations. | "She should stay with the baby instead of having someone else watch [her]. If it was up to me to tell my daughter to stay home with her kids, I would tell her to stay home as long as she could with them." (P9) "There's quite a bit of abuse separation, you know. A lot of men leave their wives, and it could be the other way around, too, with leaving their husbands with the kids and taking off. You see a lot of that. We were always there for them. You have to be there for your children." (P10) |